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No longer can you find Sear's or Radio Shack in Florence nor even Huntsville and while they are two totally different stores they each had some similarities that lead to their relative short lived popularity. 

With Radio Shack you had the "Realistic" brand name whereby Radio Shack would specify what they wanted in various products such as Stereo receivers, Radios, Electronics etc.. and the end product would compete head on with other major branded units of the same type. Radio Shack would have their own line of Stereo Receivers, Weather Radios, other radios such as CB's and portable AM/FM radios.  Radio Shack even had their own line of speakers that was built/constructed for them at their specifications.  Radio Shack even had their own personal Computer the "Tandy" TRS-80 series of computers.

Sear's for their part had commonly identifiable namesakes with Sears whereas products had the "Kenmore" name or "Die Hard" batteries and of course "Craftsman" warranted for life, replacement tools.  Problem is that as Sears' new owner (K-Mart that is) took over it became that the lifetime in the warranty pledge was not the customer's or the tool's lifetime but rather Sear's, itself, lifetime.  Now Craftsman tools may have received a reprieve from endangerment due to Sear's selling off the brand name to other entities.  I can remember when a Kenmore appliance would be at or near the top of most all Consumer Market testing outfits publication.  Yes the appliances were made by established manufacturers, usually Whirlpool, but they were made to Sear's specifications and design.  Sear's also, with their warranty, competed well with the other brands.  Then came similar moves from Radio Shack and Sears in attempts to compete and stay afloat.  Both Sear's and Radio Shack would start selling and pushing and recommending everyone's product.  You could get Maytag, Whirlpool, LG, Samsung etc … at every Sear's store for no longer was Sear's, and Radio Shack, exclusive markets for their own brand names.  

in many ways Radio Shack and Sear's fates are similar and tied together.

Be as the Bereans ( Acts 17:11 )

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Kraven posted:
Radio Shack had a dustup with Auto Zone who wanted the name
Auto Shack.
 
Sometimes I'll drive by Cross Town Sears and it's sad, once a great
American business. The Die Hard Battery was for **** but all n all
one stop shopping for many people.   

Totally agree!  I can remember passing through the doors at the mall Sear's store an on the glass above was Sear's promise "Satisfaction Guaranteed or your money back".  It was also sad when realization was that the promise no longer was valid or a promise.  I can also remember when WalMart was nothing but small stores in small towns competing with the giant K-Mart which drew in many with their "blue light" specials.  WalMart's return policy was among the most liberal and generous and from that they grew and gained trust and following of many customers who became disenchanted with K-Mart and K-Mart's careless handling of customers as they took so many of them for granted.  

It is sad to see the mistakes many retailers made and how many jobs were lost due to the decisions of people who cared more about their own wealth than the livelihoods of the thousands of their workers.  Maybe it isn't as simple as that but even the largest, such as WalMart can be toppled.  From one direction Dollar General is giving WalMart some genuine competition and from the other side, online giant Amazon.com is a huge threat.  

It's a new world and one in which I submit that the Government is at a loss at how to handle it.  In the past entities like Amazon.com, Google, and Facebook would be considered to be monopolies and subject to the Government breaking them up but, as I said, it's a brave new world and one in which I don't think many in Government know how to handle.  

 

Another article about the disappearing Retail stores

 

The above link is yet one more article written about the loss of jobs and loss of retail competition.  I, personally, believe part of it is a change in the way people shop with online shopping picking up steam.  Only time will tell if online shopping like amazon.com, eBay, Overstock, Wayfare, and others put other brick and mortar stores out of business.  I don't know that eBay warrants inclusion in that list but given that many very small operations choose to use eBay as their storefront I believe it should be there.

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